People Change A LilyJames Story
by Tearlit
Summary: This will be three separate scenes that show the change of heart that drew Lily and James together.
1. In An Old Classroom

Disclaimer - I don't own it!

A/N - Thanks to my spantabulous beta, the effervescent, Zenny, aka Starry Night Blue! Also, make my day...review!

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The corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were utterly silent, save the occasional snore or sleepy murmur from one of the portraits that adorned the walls. However, the silence was soon interrupted by the sounds of hurried footsteps pounding against the polished floors, and a dark figure rounded the corner, skidding a bit due to his momentum. James Potter slipped into a deserted classroom just down the hall from the Gryffindor Common Room and shut the door, before leaning heavily against it and muttering a locking spell. The messy-haired youth was breathing hard and clutching a great armload of food, which he had pilfered from the kitchens. A closer inspection showed that his pockets bulged with more food and it even overflowed from the top of his school bag, which he had brought along just for this purpose – it was from that an apple had fallen and, unfortunately, bounced down the stairs, coming to a stop at the feet of the caretaker, Filch. As it was a full two hours past curfew, the sixth year boy had been forced to make a run for it.

As his breathing slowed James took a moment to look around and noticed that he wasn't alone. On the unused teacher's desk that had been shoved flush against the wall there perched the girl who had been the object of his affection ever since the hormones had kicked in. She was still in her school robes, had her back leaned against the wall and was hugging her knees to her chest. Her head was bent, brilliant red hair obscuring her face, and she was very still as if trying to remain unnoticed.

"Hey Evans!" he said brightly, his entire face lighting up.

Lily Evans seemed to shrink in upon herself as she whispered, "Please, James, just leave me alone."

"Wow! You must be tired, you forgot to use my last name," the boy teased her, dumping the food unceremoniously on a desk and dropping the bag beside it. He then spent the next few minutes emptying his pockets onto a neighbouring desk, before finally hopping up on the desk next to Lily. "So, my dear, you want to cheer yourself up by going out with yours truly?" he asked merrily, flashing a winning smile at the curtain of hair where her face should have been.

The witch raised her head slowly, hair falling away, and met James hazel eyes with her own. "Please just go," she pleaded, voice breaking. Light fell across her face from the lamps above, and he could see that it was pale and that her green eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

James felt dread in the pit of his stomach; he reached out, touched her hand and was quite surprised when instead of pulling away she gripped his fingers tightly between her delicate ones. She closed her eyes and the tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. The shocked young man sat very still – he had never, in six years and a million horrible, yet hilarious, pranks, seen her cry. Neither had she ever willingly come within six feet of him, much less held his hand.

"Exams are in a week," she whispered. "Summer holidays in three. I've always taken so much for granted…like having a home to go to and parents who loved me."

"What…?"

"I guess it's difficult to appreciate something you've always had until you lose it."

"Did they kick you out? If so, you could stay with me. Mum and Dad won't care. They've taken in Sirius, so I know they wouldn't mind. Mum would probably love to have a girl about the place!"

"They didn't kick me out. My sister sent a letter and a trunk full of things I'd left at home earlier today. My parents died in a car crash last week. Last week!" she cried, sobbing outright now. "She didn't tell me until now; until the funeral was over and they were buried. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

James was at a total loss for words. Lily released his hand and covered her face, rocking slowly back and forth. He merely sat and stared at her, for how long he did not know. He wanted to say something to her to make her feel better about the whole ordeal, but he couldn't grasp the proper words. The young man considered putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, but he doubted that she would like it. Finally, she straightened up and, pulling out a handkerchief, wiped her face dry and blew her nose. She jumped off of the desk and stood in front of him, biting her bottom lip nervously, unable to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"No, Lily, I am," he replied, voice just as soft. James slid off the desk and stepped close to her. "I'm not good with crying women; I never know what to do. Especially with one who tends to yell as soon as she lays eyes on me."

She sighed "I'm sorry for that too."

"Nah, I deserve it…most of the time," he said, grinning at her in an attempt to make her smile. It didn't work.

They were quiet for the space of a few heartbeats, Lily staring hard at her saddle oxfords while James only had eyes for her.

"I miss them already. I didn't go home at Christmas or Easter. I thought, 'Oh, I'll see them at summer break,' and now I'll never see them again." The distraught young woman pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes in an effort to stop the tears. James stepped a bit closer and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened at first, but she gradually relaxed as he held her tight and rested his head on top of hers, and she snaked her hands around his back, burying her face into his chest. They stayed that way for what seemed like a blissful eternity for James.

She finally looked up at him, the ghost of a smile hovering above her lips. "Thank you, James."

"For what?"

"Caring about me, holding me, offering me comfort, for staying here with me for God knows how long. Sometimes…" her voice trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Sometimes I think you would make a very good friend," she said, nodding in affirmation at her own words. "You're normally so arrogant and aloof, like nothing touches you, but times like now…I see why Remus, Sirius and Peter are so loyal to you. Maybe you're not as much of an egotistical prat as I thought."

He regarded her with an odd expression before whispering, "Maybe not."

She looked at him a moment then hugged him tightly, before stretching up on tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek. "Would you walk me back, James?"

"Gladly, Lily."

The two Gryffindor students then made their way out of the empty classroom, pilfered food still piled on two desks and spilling out of a bag that had been forgotten.


	2. In A Passageway

Disclaimer - Not mine. Don't sue.

A/N - Thanks goes again to the lovely Zenny for being by beta reader. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed or has added this to their favorites or alerts! Please continue to let me know what you think by reviewing!

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It was just after dinner one evening that Lily Evans found herself to be cornered in one of the numerous passageways that led up to the Gryffindor Common Room. The young woman had wanted to go straight up, relax by the warmth of the fire, and finish her Charms essay, but her plans were thwarted. She now found herself standing against the wall, arms crossed tightly over her chest, the strap of her bag digging uncomfortably into her shoulder, staring at Severus Snape.

"Yes, Severus?" she said coldly.

The young man looked resolutely downward, shuffling his feet, hair hanging in greasy clumps around his face. "I just…thought you might give me another chance..."

"Oh, Sev…" she whispered softly, shaking her head.

"...this being our last year and all," he continued, as if she hadn't spoken at all.

"Have you joined?" the redhead asked, hoping her voice didn't give away the turmoil she felt inside.

"Lily…" he pleaded.

"Have you?" she asked, voice rising.

Severus looked up and nodded; she saw a grim triumph in his eyes. "Over the summer," he said eagerly. "I came to your house but no one was there."

"Why would you come tell me this? Did you think I would be happy for you? Proud of you? Did you think I would look upon you with anything but contempt?" she hissed, advancing on him until he was the one pressed against the opposite wall. "Are you happy now, Death Eater? Pleased now that you've joined up with the side that would see me dead?"

He cringed away from her temper as much as the unyielding stone would allow, staring at her with wide eyes. "What? You dead? No…I told the Dark Lord about you – told him you were a great witch."

She paled, looking almost sickly now in the dim light from the torches that lined the walls**.** "You told…you told him about me? Oh, thanks for signing my death certificate."

"He doesn't want to kill you. He was quite interested in you."

"Oh, don't be stupid. You honestly think that? As your _friends_ constantly remind me, I'm a Mudblood, and therefore must be stamped out of wizard kind."

"I thought you might be proud…" the young man whispered.

"Yes, Sev, _so_ proud," Lily said scathingly. "Was there an initiation?"

He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as a loud bang issued from somewhere below, causing them both to jump and look about in alarm. They only relaxed a bit when the sounds of screams and laughter reached their ears. Lily recovered first and continued on by saying, "What was it? Capture? Torture? Murder? All three? It's widely speculated that there's an initiation involving the killing of Muggle-Borns. It's true, isn't it?"

He nodded again, looking as if he longed to melt into the wall.

"Three Muggle-Born students disappeared during July. Their bodies were found a week later. Did you play a part in it, Severus?"

He stared at her.

"Did you?" she pressed; this time he didn't even need to nod – she could see it in his eyes. She stepped away from him until she was once more against the opposite wall and, incidentally, as far away from him as she could get without leaving the passageway. "Madeline, a Ravenclaw Prefect; Georgia Harris from Hufflepuff, she was a first year last year; and from Gryffindor they took my dorm mate, Camilla. Who did you torture, Sev? Who did you murder?"

He stared resolutely at a spot just above her left ear, not speaking.

"Why those three and not someone else? Why those three and not me?"

Only then did he finally look straight at her. "What? Lily, I could never do that! I lo-" Severus' sentence was cut short when Lily lunged forward and clamped a hand firmly over his mouth.

"Don't! Don't say it."

"Why?" came the muffled reply; he appeared thoroughly bewildered.

She retreated once more, one hand pulling idly at a strand of her dark red hair. "Because I'm joining the Order as soon as I graduate. There is a very real chance that one day we will be fighting and one of us will have to curse or kill the other. We can't have feelings in the middle of a war."

The newly initiated Dark wizard stared at her intently and moved forward, placing a hand on either side of her as he whispered, "I could never hurt you. Never!"

"What if they were watching and it was you or me? You'd choose yourself. Don't deny it."

The two paused when they heard footsteps coming toward them and Severus stepped back, drawing his wand as he recognized the figure of James Potter. Lily gave the approaching young man a hint of a smile as his eyes darted back and forth between them.

"Is everything alright, Lily?" he asked, eyes resting on Severus.

"Yes, everything's fine**,** James."

"All right, then. Would you like me to take your bag up?"

"Yes, that would be great!" she replied, sighing in relief at finally being able to remove the heavy thing from her now aching shoulder.

"I'll leave it in your chair for you," he said, swinging it up onto his own shoulder. "See you later**,** Lily, Snape." James nodded at each and proceeded on his way, Lily smiling softly at his retreating back.

"Why are you smiling at him?" Severus asked indignantly.

"He didn't threaten you at all! And he called you Snape rather than Snivellus. He really can be a dear…"

"He's an arrogant prat!" the affronted young man spat coldly.

"People change; you should know that."

He advanced again, once more placing a hand on either side of her and effectively trapping her between his arms. "I haven't changed!" he hissed. "I would save you, at risk of losing my own life. I love you, Lily. I've loved you sinceforever!"

"Oh**,** Sev," she sighed, touching his cheek softly and causing him to sigh and lean into her hand.

"Please**,** Lily, can't you give me another chance?" the dark haired man asked, piercing her with the most sorrowful gaze she had ever seen.

"You may love me, but you lover power more. I can't," she murmured, voice riddled with pain.

"Kiss me?"

"What?"

"To remember you by."

She rose up on tiptoes, one hand still on his face, the other on his shoulder, and gently pressed her lips to his for a moment; then she pulled back, tears in her eyes.

"I could've loved you if things were different. If you loved me more."

"I do!"

"No, you don't, or you wouldn't have become a Death Eater. Goodbye, Sev."

She ducked under his arm and walked away, trainers making a hollow sound as they struck the stone floor. Lily could feel his eyes on her back the entire way down the passage and was quite distracted as she emerged from behind a large, heavy tapestry on the seventh floor, causing her to trip over James Potter.

She stumbled and caught herself, saying "What…?"

"I was just waiting here to make sure you were all right!" he said, jumping quickly to his feet and helping her up.

"I'm fine, James," she sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, I was just checking," the messy haired youth said in a rather surly tone.

"Thank you," she said, smiling up at him.

"It's no problem," he replied, the sullen look slipping from his face as he moved closer to her.

"You've really changed," she murmured, now standing so close to him that a slight breezewould have knocked the two together.

He nodded, leaning slowly toward her, lips slightly parted, when an ear splitting boom echoed in the air, followed by a war cry. Lily leapt backwards just as a flying blur struck James, sending him sliding down the corridor before finally landing in a heap against the far wall.

Lily looked and saw Sirius atop James, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a cape, looking decidedly ruffled, but happy. James was glaring daggers at him. She then glanced to the end of the corridor where Remus and Peter stood beside a large cannon, grinning from ear to ear and slapping each other high fives.

The seventh year girl shook her head and called back over her shoulder as she climbed through the portrait hole, "I don't know where you got that thing, but if anyone but you four gets shot out of it I _will_ hurt you." The sounds of their laughter followed her in as the portrait swung shut behind her.


	3. Out and About

Disclaimer – Do I look like JKR? Didn't think so…

A/N – Once again thanks goes to the marvellous beta – Zenny (Starry Night Blue). Go read her stories and give her love! Thanks to everyone who has been following this and leaving me love! Make my day…review.

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It was the first Hogsmeade weekend and James, for once unaccompanied by the other Marauders, found himself wandering along High Street aimlessly until he spotted a pretty redhead standing outside Scrivenshafts.

"Hey**,** Evans!" he said brightly.

She turned from her perusal of the window and smiled**.** "Hello, Potter." Her eyes narrowed as she peered around. "Where's the rest?"

"Sirius and Peter are in detention for the Great Hall cannon incident. Remus should've been with them, but he's ill today."

"How many days did they get for that?"

"Six consecutive Saturdays," he said, leaning casually against the side of the building.

"Well, they deserved it."

"Still," he said grinning, "the look on McGonagall's face when Sirius landed in her shepherd's pie and skidded into her lap was priceless."

"I don't know…" Lily said slowly. "I think when he proclaimed his undying love and kissed her on the cheek really made the moment. Though, what possessed him to do any of it?"

He shrugged**.** "They were aiming for Dumbledore."

"Oh my…"

"Yeah…Peter can't aim and Remus was busy lighting the thing. So where's your group?"

A shadow passed across her face and he immediately regretted the question. "Well, last year was Marlene's last, Dorcas is in detention for getting caught snogging Sirius again and Camilla…"

"I'm sorry; she was a great girl. Remus is…quite upset over her," James said, nodding sadly.

"I saw him at the funeral. 'Quite upset' doesn't really cover it," she said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I know. He's trying to hide it, though. I mean, you've seen him around **– **we haven't even been in school a month and he's already earned about a dozen detentions, not counting these six coming up. It's how he deals with deep emotional pain," he said.

"He really loved her, didn't he?" Lily asked softly.

James nodded**.** "He did. She was his first girlfriend; besides, they were together a really long time."

He watched as Lily bit her lip and closed her eyes. Then she asked, "Would you care to walk with me a ways?"

"No, not at all," the surprised young wizard replied. However, he became even more surprised when, as they began to walk, she looped her arm through his.

"So," she said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "Darkened the door of the library yet?"

James gasped dramatically. "Are you barbaric? Just because I'm Head Boy and must set an example doesn't mean I have to give up everything!"

She laughed, "What have you given up, then?"

"Well…for starters,I'm not in detention today."

"True. Though you were part of the brains behind it, I assume?"

He beamed with pride**. **"Of course! I'm just glad the teachers have stopped giving us all detentions every time one of us does something."

"Well**,** where one of you is the others aren't far behind. Especially with you and Sirius."

He shrugged**.** "When you're right, you're right. Would you like to go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink?

"Why, Mr. Potter, are you asking me on a date?" she said in a light tone.

"You know, Ms. Evans, I think I am."

"Hm… I do believe this is the most polite way you've ever asked. I'd love to."

"You would? Wow…so…" he said, grinning broadly. "...does this mean we're going out?"

"No."

"Oh," he said, his face falling.

"This means that we're going on a date for a drink. If this goes well and you ask me out, then I might say yes and _then_ we'd be going out."

"Oh."

They continued walking arm in arm down High Street until they reached the small pub. They found an empty table at the back and settled down with the Butterbeers that James had purchased.

They sat and sipped in comfortable silence for a while until Lily broke it by saying, "Thank you, James."

"For what?"

"Spending time with me today. It's been hard lately. First my parents, then Camilla, and Marlene graduated…"

"You're welcome. Things are changing a lot. The only time you can drag a smile or laugh out of Remus anymore is when we're up to something. And sometimes Sirius is actually…serious. It's so odd!"

"We've been safe until now; the war has finally hit home." She looked at him and with a strange gleam in her eye and a grim smile touching her lips, whispered**,** "I'm going to fight...when we leave here."

"Us**,** too! We all want to fight, well…not Peter so much. I've really no idea how he made it into Gryffindor, but he'll fight because the rest of us are."

"Marlene joined the group opposing him over the summer. She hasn't said a whole lot about it, but she said it's helping and it's worth it."

James nodded and drained his tankard. "It's stuffy in here. Let's go walk around the lake."

"Alright," she said, sitting her own mug down and following him out.

The two walked in silence until they reached the lake. He stopped and turned to face her, a slightly arrogant grin on his face. "Go out with me, Evans?"

She smiled**.** "Yes, Potter."

He blinked, gaping at her for a moment, and then gestured to the lake. "What happened to preferring the giant squid over me?"

"You grew up. You could'vehexed Snape last week but you didn't. Today was the first time you've asked me out in months. You've turned from an arrogant**,** immature boy into a mature, admirable man."

She stoodon tiptoes, placing her hands on his shoulders for support and pressed her lips gently to his. He kissed her back, slowly and gently, placing one hand tentatively on her waist. She was smiling softly when she finally pulled back and took his hand in hers.

They walked up to the castle and into the Great Hall**,** hand in hand**,** just after dinner had begun. When the other Marauders saw them Peter fell off the bench, Sirius choked on his chicken and a rather pale Remus raised one eyebrow. Smiling, the happy couple sat down to enjoy their dinner.


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